Sunday Ride to 3 Floyds

With the temperature last Sunday flirting with 32 degrees, a friend of Mine and I (Kyle) decided it would be a good day to ride 60 miles roundtrip to 3 Floyds Brew Pub in Muenster, IN.

 It was an extremely cold ride that presented some challenges that don't normally get presented to me.  Other then some extremely slick spots and frozen gears our ride was extremely enjoyable because of the amount of people who were absent from the lake front path(LFP) and roads. The ride would have been near impossible if the LFP had the foot and bike traffic it normally does in the spring. Below are some pictures I took along the journey. You can see where the splashes of water quickly turned to ice. At one point the front of my shoes were ice caps. Not fun. My downtube shift cable quickly be came useless and my friends bike turned to a single speed also. Check out the gear cassette I snapped a picture of. Its awesome the way the ice built up.

Forgive me for the lack of pictures towards the end of the ride. My longest ride of this season kicked my butt. By the time we got to the 3FFF's Brew Pub I was more interested in the Beer on Tap and the FOOD. I only had 2 beers (thats all it took after the trip down there). I usually try only beer I can get there, so I had the Brunk Donk, (hahahha am I drunk?) excuse me, I had the Drunk Monk & the Topless Witch. The Monk is a Hefeweizen and the Witch is a porter with hints of chocolate and coffee. My buddy Derek had the Veggie Pizza and I had the Burger. The Burger is awesome, I cant begin to tell you how delicious it was. The meat is top quality and has a sausage like quality that made it extremely juicy and unique. Well done (no pun intended) 3 FFF's.

Here are the pics from the trip. Please enjoy.

Momentum Magazine******Free *******

Just got a fresh supply of Momentum Magazine. On The Route & Trek Bikes on Michigan have carried Momentum for quite some time, however upon printing its 50th issue, Momentum got a face lift.

The new cover and logo look fresh and modern. (Just what OTR is trying to do after 30+ years!)

Anyways, pop in say hello and grab a Momentum Mag.

Biking pays off for you and the enviorment

There are countless reasons to bike. Weather its for health, transportation, and/or fun, it’s positive for both you and the environment. Think Global & act local. Check out these fun facts below and head over 1world2wheel.org for more tips and information. Oh and don’t forget to watch John Burke (owner of TREK) talk about the 1world2wheels program.

Facts for your health:

-The average person looses 13 pounds their first year of commuting by bike.

-Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%

-A 140-pound cyclist burns 508 calories while peddling 14 miles in an hour.

 Facts for the environment:

-The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.

-Each U.S. rush-hour auto commuter spends an average of 50 hours a year stuck in traffic.

-In 2003, cars stalled in traffic wasted 5 billion gallons of fuel.

 Facts for children:

-In 1964, 50% of kids rode to school and the obesity rate wa 12%...In 2004, 3% rode to school and the obesity rate was 45%.

-Between 1960 and today the average weight of a 6-11 year old has increased 11 pounds.

Source: 1world2wheels.org

Patch Kits are Here!

We just got a Shipment of On The Route (OTR) Patch Kits. We will be handing out these OTR Patch Kits all over the city this summer during cycling events and rides. These will be great to throw in your jersey or bags for extra security on long rides. They come with instructions, buffer, glue, and 6 medium sized patches. Good for a majority of punctures.

A good rule of thumb for all you who are intimidated to patch your own tube. Dont be. Its really simple, the key to a solid patch job is patience. After locating the puncture and buffing away any grime, the key is to let the thin film of glue set up for at least 5 minutes or until the "wet" look is gone. A good contact and firm pressure on the correct side of the patch should get you rolling again.

See you guys soon!

2011 Bontrager Tires

Goodbye, flats!

Winters grip is slowly loosening its hold... and maybe this 40 degree weather has made you think of playing outdoors again. Well as our stock of 2011 Gear rolls our way, we decided to share with you some info on Tires. The right tire in the Chicago area, almost always, is a punture resistant type. If most of your riding is pavement and traveling, we recommend the Bontrager line of Hard Case Tires. Here are a few specs and differences between the flat resistant models.

Plus

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Bontrager's first line of defense involves sub-tread puncture protection which prevents glass and stone from pushing through the tread and puncturing the tube. The Plus belt or co-extrusion, varies in thickness and material by intended user and tire type, enhancing puncture protection with minimal weight penalty.

Available on many Bontrager road and hybrid tires, Plus is ideal for riders seeking a fast ride with some anti-flat protection.

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Hard-Case

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Bontrager's second line of defense provides triple flat protection:

1. Aramid breaker belt to ward off tread punctures from glass and stone
2. Anti-cut casing, bead to bead, that resists cuts from glass and sharp objects
3. Anti-pinch sidewall support to prevent snake-bites when running over obstacles and hitting holes

Upgrade to Hard-Case tires when your route involves road debris or patches of gravel--and right after the winter thaw.

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Hard-Case Plus

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Bontrager's third line of defense is the best of both worlds, combining the benefits of Hard-Case with the proven sub-tread protection of Plus for a tire that accelerates quicker, rolls faster, and lasts longer than competing brands.

1. Aramid breaker belt to ward off tread punctures from glass and stone
2. Anti-cut casing, bead to bead, that resists cuts from glass and sharp objects
3. Anti-pinch sidewall support to prevent snake-bites when running over obstacles and hitting holes
4. Sub-tread Plus co-extrusion, for 21% more tread protection than Hard-Case

Upgrade to Hard-Case Plus when you seek the ultimate in flat protection.